The History of the Jews of Stanislav {Cont.}

The Jewish council of Stanislav decided to take into its hands the initiative
to establish a high national council, whose responsibilities would include the
representations of matters relevant to the Jewish population to the Ukrainian
government. Dr. Karel Halpern, one of the veteran communal leaders, and the
Zionist leader Dr. Reuven Jonas were the heads of the Jewish council. They
issued a proclamation to the Jewish communities of the world on November 24,
1918, via the national Jewish council of Vienna, informing of the establishment
of the new organization, and its neutrality in the war between the Poles and
Ukrainians.

On December 18-20, 1918, the first convention of the national councils from all
areas under Ukrainian rule took place in Stanislav. The leadership of 100
communities took part, which represented all of the streams and factions of
Jewry. In wide ranging deliberations, they dealt with practical issues of
Jewish life, especially with problems of the new organization of the community
on the nationalist basis, and the establishment of a Jewish educational
network. In unanimous resolutions, a provisional organizational charter was
agreed upon, which was written along political lines of the old community. A
national council of Jews of western Galicia was established[117] to head the
group, with Dr. Reuven Jonas as the head. Fourteen members were elected to the
council: 7 Zionists, 2 from Mizrachi, 2 from Poale Zion, 1 from Bund, and 2
without factions. Twelve replacements were also elected (6 Zionists, 2 from
Mizrachi, 2 from Poale Zion, 1 without a faction, and 1 from Bund). A
secretariat was established alongside the council, headed by Dr. Zvi Epsztejn
and the Hebrew writer Reuven Fahen.

On December 25, 1918, the council presented the Ukrainian government with a
letter of notification, informing them that the will of the Jewish people was
to organize all matters of concern to the communities, education, and general
and specific social interest, in an independent, autonomous fashion. On January
6, 1919, the heads of the council, Dr. Karel Halpern and Dr. Reuven Jonas,
visited the deputy Prime Minister Dr. Lev Gachinski, and explained to him the
neutral stance of the Jews in the struggle between the Poles and Ukrainians.
They stressed that the Jews were prepared to participate in the administrative
activities of the state and to promote its existence, on the basis of the
provisional declaration of the Republic of Western Ukraine of October 19, 1918,
which promised all of the national minorities within its borders  Poles,
Jews and Germans  equal rights and national autonomy[118]. Obviously,
the neutral stance of the Jews instigated the bitterness of the Ukrainians.
There were groups that claimed that it was the duty of the Jews to participate
with the Ukrainians, and to take a positive stance towards the republic in the
full sense of the term; for neutrality did not prevent the Poles in Lvov from
perpetrating atrocities against the Jews for three consecutive days.

Dr. Karl Halpern

Reb Avraham Halpern

Dr. Shmuel Shor

Dr. Anzelem Halpern

[See the enlarged pictures by clicking on the images]

[Page 57]

The representatives of the national council of the Jews demanded:

The repeal of all the restrictions that applied to the Hebrew and Yiddish
languages during the Austrian era;

The registration of Yiddish as a national
language, and the requirement that the government answer in Yiddish all letters
sent to it in Yiddish;

The opening of all government positions and
educational institutions to Jews;

The hiring of Jewish officials based on
justice, and in accordance with their administrative knowledge and professional
acumen;

The repeal of all the economic restrictions that existed in several
areas against the Jews. Aside from these demands, they also presented some
demands in the economic realm.

However, despite the assurances of the Ukrainian government, there was no
actual fulfillment. Conditions continued to worsen, for the government did not
have the power to overcome all of the difficulties and all of the provocations
of the officials out in the field, which included all sorts of persecutions and
obstacles to the economic existence of the Jews. This was despite the fact that
the government of the Western Ukrainian Republic was interested in the support
of the Jews, and its leaders attempted outside the country, particularly in
Vienna where there was a large number of Galician Jews, including well-known
Zionists, to recruit Jews who would be willing to tour the capitals of Europe
and intercede for the well being of the republic. To this end, the delegates of
this government in Vienna negotiated with the well-known Zionist from Tarnopol,
Dr. Yisrael Waldman, who had been favorable to the Ukrainians even prior to the
world war. However, he left the negotiations due to the opposing stance of the
Zionist organization for this mission. Due to this situation, the national
Jewish council saw fit to send its member, Engineer Naftali Landau to Vienna at
the beginning of January 1919, to prevent the Zionists of Vienna from
undertaking missions in favor of the national council. After lengthy
negotiations, a delegation of the national Jewish council was set up, that
began its activities immediately on January 28, 1919. Its main task was to
maintain constant communication with the council in Stanislav, to represent it
outside the country, to transmit information, and to maintain contact with
diplomatic representatives. This delegation consisted of 20 members, and was
headed by Adolf Shtend as president, and a leadership committee of 4 members:
Dr. Moshe Pechtman, Dr. Yisrael Waldman, Herman Trop, and Meir Henish. Leon
Wexler was chosen as secretary, and the information office was given to Dr. N.
M. Gelber. One of the first tasks of this delegation was to issue a
comprehensive memorandum regarding the Jews of Galicia to the American
commission, headed at the time in Vienna by Professor College. This memorandum
was written by Dr. N. M. Gelber and was presented at the end of January 1919.

In Stanislav, which became the political center of eastern Galicia, the
national council made efforts to ease the living conditions of the Jewish
population during the transitional period, and particularly to protect it from
attacks and persecutions. Nevertheless, not one day passed without deeds of
murder, pillage and robbery in Jewish homes. Most of the activities of the
national council were focused about intervening and interceding in these
events. The situation deteriorated to such an extent that Jewish commerce
stopped in many cities and towns, on account of the lack of safety along the
routes, including the railways. An economic recession arrived, which weighed
heavily upon all strata of the Jewish population. Furthermore, the Ukrainian
officials saw fit to extort the Jews in any manner possible, including the
accepting of bribes and the expropriation of merchandise and property. Theft in
broad daylight and attacks on the Jews in their homes became commonplace daily
occurrences.

[Page 58]

There is no need to state that this type of treatment inspired hatred of the
Ukrainians among the Jews, and forced the institutions of the Jewish national
council to a double stance: on the one hand to protect the lives and property
of the Jews, and on the other hand to stand in defense of the government
leaders, who, despite their good intentions, were not able to maintain order
and safety, and relate appropriately to the Jews in accordance with the law. In
the capital city of Stanislav there were no acts of theft, etc., however in the
outlying cities, not a day passed without some attack or deed of pillage.

The difficult situation of the Jews of eastern Galicia caught the attention of
the delegation of the Jewish national council in Vienna, which was joined in
February 1919 by Dr. Leon Reich, Dr. Michael Ringel, and M. A. Tenenblat, who
were freed from their Polish imprisonment through the intercession of the
Zionist leaders at the Paris peace conference, and arrived in Vienna on their
way to the peace conference. In a meeting of the delegation on February 1, they
dealt with the political situation, and the need to send a Galician delegation
to the peace conference. After deliberations regarding the status of the Jews
in the area of Polish occupation on the one hand, and the areas of Ukrainian
occupation on the other hand, a debate broke out regarding the neutrality, and
the problems with continuing that stance. There were those who claimed that the
neutrality reduced the Jews to lower class citizens, for with that stance, it
is as if they are declaring that they are unable to participate in the running
of the state, and indeed it is the right and duty of the Jews to participate in
activities of the state during the Polish Ukrainian war. Dr. Reich realized
that this opinion is the correct one, but he did not see a means of actualizing
it in day to day life. Dr. Ringel pointed out that no matter what, the
neutrality was set back by the hatred of the Poles, who do not wish to
understand the situation of the Jews. Therefore, in his opinion, it was best to
make a revision, and to participate in the political life of the Ukrainian
section, even if it came with the duty of army service. Dr. Yisrael Waldman
pointed out the fact that Ukraine is the only state that was willing to grant
to the Jews not only equal rights, but also national autonomy. Despite this,
the delegation did not see fit to make a decision to change the political
stance.

From February 6-14, the Ukrainian parliament (Natzianala Rada) convened in
Stanislav. Its deliberations were permeated by an atmosphere of Jew hatred.
Explicit complaints and attacks against the Jews were heard in the speeches of
the representatives. The parliament did not relate at all with a spirit of duty
towards the requests of the Jews. On the contrary, it requested that the
government take measures against the Jews (in matters of agrarian reform,
etc.). In light of such developments, the Jewish national council decided to
meet with the Ukrainian government. In the meantime, the Jewish national
delegation published specific details in the newspapers of Vienna regarding the
situation of the Jews in the Ukrainian area of Galicia. These details worried
the West Ukrainian consul in Vienna, Baron Vasylko, to such a degree that he
saw fit to meet with the delegate of the Austrian Jewish national council,
Robert Sztriker. The consul pointed out that it was not within his realm of
responsibility, but rather within the realm of responsibility of the Galician
council, to deal with matters of Galician Jewry. Herman Trop and Dr. Yisrael
Waldman, representatives of the delegation, were invited to a meeting with
Vice-consul Dr. Singalwich. They explained to him that the relationship with
the Ukrainian government is not satisfactory, and that he should take
cognizance of the fact that world Jewry would find means to publicize the lot
and fate of the Jews of Galicia.

[Page 59]

Dr. Singalwich admitted that, as a human being and a Ukrainian, he is
embarrassed about what is transpiring in Galicia, but he asked them to
understand that the bad situation is the fruits of the pervasive anarchy. In
the meantime, it was decided in Stanislav itself to open discussions with the
Ukrainian government regarding the participation of Jews in affairs of the
state. However, political changes overturned the pot.

The Ukrainian public was turned into a cauldron with two extreme streams. One
the one hand there was Petlora, who, defeated in Ukraine by the Bolsheviks,
arrived in Stanislav and got in touch with the allied powers. On the other hand
there was the forces of the left, who preached for the unity of Galicia with
the rest of Ukraine. Poale Zion, under the influence of Shlomo
Goldelman and Revichki, who were ministers for Jewish matters in the government
of Petlora, supported the idea of unity. Their press arm, Der Yidisher
Arbeter in Stanislav published articles in this spirit, and began to
attack the national Jewish council for its neutral stance.

Even during these days of confusion and complexity, the stamp of the
renaissance of the internal communal life of the Jews was noticeable. There was
recognizable effort particularly in the realm of education. The national
council turned the attention of the Ukrainian government to the needs of Jewish
education, and requested that the government help to establish a Jewish
educational network. The essence of the request was that the Jewish schools be
placed under the administrative and pedagogical supervision and directorship of
Jewish educational directors, even though the schools are communal institutions
funded by the government. On January 11, 1919, a meeting took place between
delegates of the council and Dr. Artimowicz, the secretary of state for
educational matters. He expressed his approval for the educational plans of the
national council; but he doubted the possibility of using the Hebrew language
as the language of teaching, and he requested explanations regarding such. The
convention of Jewish pedagogues, that was convened by the national council on
January 19-20 in Stanislav with the participation of 20 enlightened teachers,
dealt with all details of the educational network, including the public school,
cheders, high schools, from the humanist to the seminarian ends of the
spectrum. The debates, especially based on the lecture of Professor David
Horowitz regarding The nationalization of the educational network and its
Hebraization, proved that the community of teachers was imbued with a
strong desire to form a new creation in the educational realm, in the spirit of
the renaissance of Hebrew language and culture. The most difficult problem was
the question of teachers who would be able to teach in the Hebrew language.
Indeed, the number of Hebrew teachers was large, but the government was not
able to recognize their qualifications, since the vast majority did not have
the teaching certificate required by the authorities.

The convention decided that:

The Jewish schools must be public institutions, supported by the state and
open to everyone.

The teachers are public employees, who receive their
salary from the coffers of the state

Only teachers who completed the
required course of study would be hired. However, with regard to the issue of
Hebrew teachers, the national council was requested to obtain teaching permits
for them, based on their Hebrew education and their license from the Union of
Hebrew Teachers. Decisions were also taken regarding the charter of the
cheders, and placing them under the supervision of the council of Jewish
education.

The Jewish council started to negotiate with the government on the basis of the
decisions of the teachers' convention. The Ukrainian parliament decided on
February 13 to grant the minorities the right to establish schools in their own
languages.

[Page 60]

Dr. Artimowicz pointed out to the Jewish national council on February 20 that
the government is not able give a decisive answer, because the Ukrainian
parliament does not have a Jewish representative who can bring forward all the
requests of the Jews, and that complaints of Hebrew as a language of teaching
have been heard from a variety of sources. Despite this, he promised to issue
directives that would ensure the possibility of teaching the Hebrew language
and Jewish history to Jewish children. This answer was an explicit retraction
from the government regarding the Jewish educational network. In the meantime,
Poale Zion began to issue strong attacks in their newspapers regarding Hebrew
as the language of education, and they demanded Yiddish schools. These demands
were published in the Ukrainian newspapers, and the government used them as a
weapon against the demands of the national Jewish council. This excuse of the
Ukrainian government demonstrated clearly that all of its talk about the
granting of national autonomy to the Jews was nothing but idle talk. The
Zionist organizations saw a need to open up its own Hebrew public and high
schools in most cities. Private Yiddish schools were also established in
several cities. The Hechalutz movement began, and made preparations
for hachsharah (preparation programs) for aliya to the Land of Israel. The
opening of national schools encouraged the Jewish youth and intelligentsia in
their national awakening. Courses, seminars, debates, lectures, and theatrical
presentations in the meeting halls of all of the factions injected variety into
cultural life, and was a harbinger of a change of conditions in all Jewish
communal life. Yiddish papers were founded during the time of Ukrainian control
(November 1, 1918  June 1, 1919). A Yiddish newspaper Dos Yiddishe
Wort was published, edited by Leib Shusheim, who was appointed over all
journalistic matters in the Jewish national council. Yiddishe Folks
Tsaytung was published by Chaim Szafund, and Der Yiddisher
Arbeter was published. On May 13, 1919, a daily newspaper Dos
Yiddish Togblat was published, edited by M. A. Tenenblat.

Particular importance was attached to the internal reorganization of Jewish
life. Instead of the communities that were ruled by families and
cliques, a national council was established, in accordance with the
will of the masses of people. The communal council was annulled also in
Stanislav, and in its place a national council was set up with delegates from
all of the factions, and set up on a positive Jewish basis. Dr. Karel Halpern
and Dr. Reuven Jonas stood at the head of the council.

Dr. Karel Halpern[119], the son of Reb Hirsch Halpern and the grandson of Reb
Avraham Halpern, was a native of Stanislav. After he finished his course of
studies in universities in Germany, he returned to Stanislav and became
involved in agriculture. He managed the Volchinech estate, which he inherited
from his father, and employed new work methodologies with it. He refused to
flee to Vienna after the Russian armies invaded Stanislav in August 1914. He
did not leave his post, and remained with the Jewish population.

[Page 61]

With all of his heart, with all of his soul, and with all of his resources, he
organized rescue activities for the Jews of the city who were in straits, and
for the refugees who arrived in Stanislav by the thousands from the neighboring
towns and villages. The Russians did not leave him in his post for long, and
expelled him as a half-breed Russian. Thousands of Jews came to bid him
farewell. He was imprisoned in various prisons in Russia for three years. Even
there, he was astute enough to maintain contact with the refugee committees in
the country. He dedicated all of his time to delivering secret aid to the
thousand of Jews who were exiled from eastern Galicia to Russia. After the end
of the Russian-Austrian war, he returned to Stanislav and dedicated himself
from then on to national-communal work. He established the national Jewish
council along with Dr. Reuven Jonas, Engineer Naftali Landau, Dr. Alexander
Riterman, the brothers Shimon and Yisrael Reich, Dr. Anzelm Halpern, Dr. Max
Zeinfeld, Dov Weiss, and other activists.

Dr. Reuven Jonas was a member of the Zionist movement already from the 1890s,
and was one of its activists. He was one of the delegates of Galician Zionist
movement to the action committee of the World Zionist Organization for several
years. He conducted the Zionist activity in particular, and during his tenure
and in his merit, the Zionist movement became firmly grounded in the towns
surrounding Stanislav. At his side stood the veterans of the Zionist movement
Dr. Anzelm Halpern the brother of Karel, Dr. Alexander Riterman who conducted
the local national council with great energy, Dov Weiss, and Dr. Hillel Zusman.

J.

The economic situation was entirely different from the political picture, in
comparison to the situation of the Jewish population prior to the war. At the
outset, the economic situation was not bad, but a deep recession came during
the time of the Ukrainian administration. In March 1919, the number of Jewish
residents in Stanislav[120] was 36,000 people, of whom approximately 20,000
(56%) required public assistance. Prior to the war, the percentage of people
requiring support was only 11%, and there were 5,000 people (14%) who were
without livelihood and work. During the Ukrainian administration, only 30% of
the Jewish population earned their livelihood, and even these did so under
particularly difficult conditions. However in contrast with other cities, where
the number of people in need of support ranged from 61% to 90%, the situation
of the Jewish population in Stanislav was not so depressed. This was due to the
fact that Stanislav was the capital of the state, and the Ukrainian government
restrained themselves somewhat from acting in a cruel manner towards the Jews,
as was the situation in other cities and towns. Nevertheless, on March 23-24,
the city suffered an invasion of farmers and soldiers, who pillaged Jewish
shops and homes. The police and the government also acted cruelly and attacked
the Jews. The situation deteriorated from day to day, under the influence of
waves of disturbances that broke out in greater Ukraine. The Jewish National
Council decided to negotiate with the Ukrainian government regarding the
establishment of a department of Jewish affairs in the government.

[Page 62]

Already by April 2, 1919, the chief minister Dr. Holovovits, in the name of the
Ukrainian government, informed the Jewish council about its decision to
establish a department (Dezernat) aside from the presidency of the
cabinet for the purpose of protecting the Jews as a national minority. Dr.
Yisrael Waldman was called as a candidate for the Dezernent[24*]. However, after
voices were heard against him, he returned to Vienna on March 28. In the
meantime, the matter of the Dezernent was dealt with the delegation of the
council in Vienna, in the presence of the Zionist leader from the area of
Polish conquest Dr. Emil Szmurak. It was decided that Dr. Waldman be allowed to
accept the position in the Dezernent provided he place himself under the
authority of the Zionist organization. On April 20, the Ukrainian government
presented the Jewish National Council with the recommendation to form the
Jewish Dezernent alongside the Ukrainian government. In accordance with its
charter, crafted by Dr. Yisrael Waldman, the Dezernent would be responsible for
protecting the rights of the Jews as a national minority, without hampering the
establishment of an organization to protect national autonomy, as was
recommended in the government manifest of October 19, 1918. The Dezernent
participated in government sittings to the extent that it was invited to do so
by the chief ministers, however it did not have the right of voting (paragraph
2). The Prime Minister appointed the Dezernent. The Dezernent was obligated to
carry out its duties in accordance with the advice and requests of the Jewish
National Council (paragraph 3). All matters relating to Jewish autonomy were
included in its duties. It had the right to advise the government regarding the
crafting of laws, directive, and ordinances in order to protect all matters
pertaining to the Jews in a legal fashion, as well as general ordinances and
regulations. It was permitted to express its recommendations, doubts and
concerns in such matters. In its hands were the government administration of
Jewish institutions, social and economic organizations, and the supervision of
the administering of rights relating to autonomous organizations (paragraph 5).
Details of the internal organization of the Dezernent were worked out after the
appointment of the first Dezernent. The entire budget of the Dezernent was
covered from the government treasury (paragraph 7). A large-scale jurisdiction
was granted to the Dezernent by this charter, and the Jewish Dezernent had to
concern itself with all Jewish issues.

After Dr. Waldman arrived in Stanislav, he reached an agreement with the
leadership of the Jewish National Council regarding the relationship between
the council and the Dezernent. It was specifically stressed in the agreement
that the Dezernent is to fulfil its tasks as a force of the Jewish National
Council, and it is to be responsible to it in all matters. It is also to
disband in accordance with its demand. It is required to participate in all
meetings of the council, to act in accordance with its decisions and
directives, and to present to it a report of all of its activities. Prior to
offering its recommendations in fundamental or political matters, it is to
present them to the council in order to obtain its agreement. The national
council will present all of its presentations to the Ukrainian government in
writing via the Dezernent. The Dezernent will only actualize its supervision
of Jewish institutions with the full agreement of the national council. The
Dezernent would set up its own internal organization with the full concurrence
of the national council, and it would construct its charter with the
participation of the council.

During the time of the negotiations concerning the establishment of the
Dezernent, elections for the Jewish National Council took place on May 18,
1919. The voter participation was very high. This was the first time that women
were granted the right to vote. Factional activity was very evident during the
election race. Fifty representatives were elected to this council, including
six women. The composition of the council by party was as follows:

After the establishment of the Dezernent, when Dr. Waldman was supposed to
occupy his position, the Polish offensive began under the command of General
Haller. The Ukrainian government began to withdraw from Stanislav. The head of
state and the entire government left he city on May 25, and went to Chortkov.
From there, after the offensive of the Ukrainian army failed completely, they
left for greater Ukraine. The head of the Jewish Dezernent Dr. Yisrael Waldman
left for Vienna on the day that the government left Stanislav. The
dismemberment of the Republic of Western Ukraine was complete.

The armies of General Haller (Hallercziks, as they were known in disgrace)
entered Stanislav and began to attack the Jews. Theft, robbery, extortion, and
the grabbing and imprisonment of Jews became daily occurrences. With this
fortune, the era of independent Poland began.

He was born in 1870. He completed his studies in the gymnasia in Stanislav in
1888, and traveled abroad. He studied agronomics an national economics in the
universities of Berlin and Halle. He married Sabina Sussman in 1897. Return

According to a census from the archives of the delegation of the Jewish
National Council in Vienna. Return

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